double icons and such

[Guest]

when i open a new document I get another icon with a similar name that includes ~$ in its title. it goes away when I close the new doc, but I never had this before. it started a couple weeks ago when I was prompted about changing the "normal" template, i think. I read your other recommendations but - I am a rank beginner and could not follow any of those instructions in the links you gave someone else. can you give me an easy answer/solution? this never happened before.

 

[Jay Freedman]

Hi Doug

The easiest answer is: Ignore the ~$ file. It's supposed to be there,
you can't get rid of it, and if you weren't staring at Explorer
instead of Word you'd never notice it. The reason you're seeing it now
and didn't see it before is probably that you changed some option in
Explorer.

If any ~$ files are still in the folder *after* you close Word (and
also Outlook, if you use Word as the email editor), then you can
safely delete it. Otherwise, just forget about it!

 

[Suzanne S. Barnhill]

As Jay suggests, you probably, in an effort to locate Normal.dot, changed
Explorer's settings to be able to see hidden files, of which this type of
temporary file is one. As he says, the file is normal and necessary, so just
get used to it. If you want to understand more about what this "owner file"
does, see "WD: How Word for Windows Uses Temporary Files" at
http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=211632

--
Suzanne S. Barnhill
Microsoft MVP (Word)
Words into Type
Fairhope, Alabama USA

Email cannot be acknowledged; please post all follow-ups to the newsgroup so
all may benefit.

Hi Doug

The easiest answer is: Ignore the ~$ file. It's supposed to be there,
you can't get rid of it, and if you weren't staring at Explorer
instead of Word you'd never notice it. The reason you're seeing it now
and didn't see it before is probably that you changed some option in
Explorer.

If any ~$ files are still in the folder *after* you close Word (and
also Outlook, if you use Word as the email editor), then you can
safely delete it. Otherwise, just forget about it!

includes ~$ in its title. it goes away when I close the new doc, but I
never had this before. it started a couple weeks ago when I was prompted
about changing the "normal" template, i think. I read your other
recommendations but - I am a rank beginner and could not follow any of those
instructions in the links you gave someone else. can you give me an easy
answer/solution? this never happened before.

 

[Guest]

H

I appreciate your quick replies. This wasn't a result of changing an Explorer file. It was definitely a Word thing, having popped up after opening (and then trying to close) a second document and getting that error that ends in a little square box. It then asked if I wanted to save whatever that doc was as "normal" - hence I didn't go looking for normal, I just tried to save my way out of it and ended up with this mes

The naivete I mentioned was that I'd seen the exact same problem posted under a Word 97 thread, but after following your reply down the rabbit-hole, I had absolutely NO idea of how to execute the solution That's what I need help with. It's the same problem that other person had getting the error message ending with the little square box when you try to close a Word doc while a second doc is open

Only when it happens to ME, I also see that ~$ on the desktop at the same time. Lots of details, I know, but that's as precise as I can be. And it's happened more than once. That message will pop up: do you want to save _____ as normal? And it's like you're damned if you do or don't. Anyway - is there a way out of this that a layman can follow

Thanks

 

[Graham Mayor]

Word *always* creates temporary files in the working folder, whatever
operating system you are working with. The only way to avoid seeing them is
to change Explorer not to display hidden and system files. If you save
documents to the desktop, then the desktop is the working folder.

It is only when the files persist after closing Word that you need worry,
and such orphans must be removed as they will interfere with the smooth
running of Word. See http://www.gmayor.com/what_to_do_when_word_crashes.htm.

It sounnds as though you may have inadvertently saved a document to
normal.dot, so before restarting Word, rename normal.dot to oldnormal.dot.

Messages to save normal.dot when nothing has changed are usually
attributable to errant add-ins with Norton AV's Office Plug-in being a
particularly bad example, but it is by no means alone.

--
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Graham Mayor - Word MVP

Web site www.gmayor.com
Word MVP web site www.mvps.org/word
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[Graham Mayor]

Thanks Graham

What you said about old/normal dot sounds right
How do I rename it? Are there steps to do this? Is it done in
Explorer? C drive? Thanks

Rename it in Explorer with Word closed. It's a hidden file in the folder
indicated in Word > tools > options > file locations > user templates.

--
<>>< ><<> ><<> <>>< ><<> <>>< <>>< ><<>
Graham Mayor - Word MVP

Web site www.gmayor.com
Word MVP web site www.mvps.org/word
<>>< ><<> ><<> <>>< ><<> <>>< <>>< ><<>